As a 21st century reader of Frankenstein, I believe it fails to convey the feeling of terror so often mentioned by earlier readers and critics. Today we seem to see Frankenstein’s monster as a lonely, yet lovable creature in need of love and attention. This might seem a little ridiculous when referring to Mary Shelley’s evil daemon, but in the age of equal rights and plastic surgery, there seems to be no room for such a horrific monster.
However, Mary Shelley’s novel, Frankenstein or the Modern Prometheus, is still relevant today, the advances in science (test-tube babies, genetic manipulation etc) has been a source of much discussion and preoccupation. Whether focusing on the religious/moral aspect of manipulating life or just a more pragmatic weariness, works of literature such as Frankenstein, Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World or George Orwell’s 1984 cannot be read without arousing our suspicion.